Previously is was necessary to utilize either large and cost prohibitive fixtures or laborious and fatiguing manual techniques for installation of deck screws in truck and trailer decks and the like. Hand held impact wrenches and electric drills required the operator to work on his knees or in a stooped posture. Stand up “T” handle screwdrivers place the operator in a more ergonomic posture, but require a relatively high skill level for the operator to place the screwdriver bit, which is on the end of the long tool, into the head of the screw, which is at his feet. In the case of screwdrivers with an automatic screw feed, similar skill was required to place the end of the screw in the pre-drilled hole. Furthermore, the operator was responsible for (1) keeping the tool plumb, (2) providing adequate down force to keep the screw driver bit engaged with the screw, (3) determining the proper depth or countersinking of the applied screw, and, (4) using muscle power to resolve the considerable torque the tool produces. This demanding process was relatively slow and labor intensive and sometimes results in injuries when the torque of the tool overpowers the operator. Since both hands are required to operate the hand held power screw driver, an expensive screw feeding system must be employed to achieve acceptable levels of production.
Prior art does not provide either the stability, or adaptability, or both, to accommodate a wide variety of situations, particularly considering the relatively large size of the floor screws used in trailer and truck bed decking and the large surface area to which those screws are applied.
The instant invention addresses all of the aforementioned problems through the use of mechanical means, including linear motion slides and pneumatic power.